River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-12-15
NATHAN'S REVENGE.
Why He Thought Himself of "No
Count" and a Coward.

Why He Thought Himself of "No
Count" and a Coward.
Nathan Fielder stood in his water melon
patch; the days work was over and he
had a right 20 the rest he was taking.
The network Of vines, covering acres Of
land and the pillows of green-striped fruit
made pleasant sight to the masters's
eyesas he leaned against the rail fencs and
looked around him. IL was all his-his
Upright Of honest toll. and he was 10
reap a rich reward IA round silver dollars.
Day BY day he had worked in the field By
the side Of his labOrers, not despising the
toll but finding in IL n refuge from his
restless spirit. Now tho harvest tins had
come. many OF the luscious II Is lying be-
fore him had been already edged 70 deal
ers m Atlanta, and this was the parting
visit Nathan was making before the perfect
beauty OF his field should be hrOk IN. The
sun hal hidden itself behind the trees
and the air had already begun tc cool,
from the damp Odors Of the creek
running near by. On one side Of
the field lay the road, on which
Nathau's own cows We're lazily
going home, with a lazy. whistIing boy
behind them. There was an uneasy fut-
ter Of cartridges in the bushes near the
fence; the whip-poOr-wills We're pouring
forth their little souls in plaiutivs song;
the creek murmured its accompaniment to
the mysterious noises that came from its
strange world Of inh abitants. But on the
absorbed face u the man there was no at
tentiOn, his ears were not open 10 these
voices Of the twilight. If Harry'd n
lived" he said, 'this would a sent i'm TO
college this year"
\ darkness came over his face, aud he
took his arm restlessly from the fence.
"T'll 10 il yit," he mut,ered- "Nothin'
hut Harry's KEEP me back all these years.
/ reckon Harry's got hold O. the trigger,
else hit would gone OF that night in the
woods"
a hopeless look came into his eyes as he
turned and placed his other arm on the
fence. II dom reckon i'll ever kill him,
but sometimes hit looks like I've got TO. 4"
he muttered. His face was sad and dark,
but not bad. There was a well spring of
goodness within him, but drop Of bit
terness hal tainted the sweet waters.
a.Iv God Z" he said. '.what do dig an
hoe an plant fer2 Matty amt no good
an amt no good. Her an Harry was
he only ones with Twin. an they're over
there in the buryin' grown"
While be had been thinking half aloud
there had been low sound Of sobbing
which now reached his ears He came
tack from the graves Of his wife and child
with start of terror, as though some SUI
rcrnatural voice had called him.
What's thatt' he said; then listened
eagerly, 50 that he might locate tine sound.
In moment il came again, the low cry
ing Of tired, frightened child. Nathan
spruug over the fence, so that he might
walk without trampling his vines; he hur-
ricd along. following the sound Of the
sotJing until he reached a certain point
in the fence where the rails wers out Of
place. There = was. lie looked over into
his precious Patch and saw a child lying
IN the vines partly hidden by them, with
its little curly head resting ON a melon.
sWeH. IL be blamedr' Nathan cried, as
ne spraug across the fence into the melon
field, IL that ar dom beat me-"
The child raj sell its face, the eyes float
ing in tears, and the mouth puckered with
CRYING. The little arms went up 20 the
stranger, and a burst Of joyous crying
gave him welcome: Nanny"
Nathan was not nanny out he was
pappy. end he picked up the little one and
wiped the ewes. mouth and cheeks with
his I Ocket- handkerchief
aY-har'd you come from. yOungster, an
how yer git in nv melon patch:" There
was something SO pitiful about the little
four-y ear-Old, so far from home, and Ma
than could see by the part in the hair that
he held boy in his arms, so he kissed the
little mouth from which the grief had not
yet vanished
Brighten up" he said. Fan laugh at
Teller. What's yO' manner"
But the boy would not answer, so Ma
than tossed him up in the air, tickied him,
sat him on the fence and tried TO talk
~baby-talk." Then he pumped him down
on to a watermelon. while he fished in his
rockets for an apple He found enc and
then the child laughed This was the be-
ginning Of sport; in a moment the boy
was on his feet. chasing Nathan; round
and round they ran, trampling the vines
and bruising the melons, but they We're
both so happy-what did they care! When
thev were tirei they sat down together in
the corner Of the fence and the chiid's
head rested against Nathan's arm. How
good, how sweet IL was to have baby
near him-au innocent heart that rested
against his. trusting him as though be / ad
been good and pure. he was tempted 10
take this child home with him and hide il
there while he Toasted his heart with pure
happiness for little while IL should be
his Harry come hack for day or two.
then he would give the little one 70 those
who had a right 90 claim him He visited
so little at the neighbOring farm-hOuses
that he could not know to whom tae child
belonged. Why should he seek 70 know
lust yets He had been bereft 50 'Nng. Why
could they not wait a little, while be kept
the boy for few hours in his own child
less hearts lie had half determ med 70 -
this or ut least 10 wait until inc l.ry was
made when he spoke:
s.Hit's gittin' late an we mist BE a.
goin' home. Come on, honey"
want many" the child pleaded.
Nathan's heart relented- "Whst's yo'
name, hOneys" The look in Nathan : eyes
was 50 soft and tender that the answer
came.
''Baby Tafford-"
II was enough. Innocence ard baby
hood were gone aud in their stead were
murder aud nj Sht. The man sp.a1g across
the fence and strobe through the field. Il
kissed him - be said. Il left him thar
alive. his boy. his baby. l wanted 20
take him home an make like he
was Harry wanted 10 set
an watch i'm slsepiE' IN my bed An me
been trackin' his pa al these years with
loaded gun tryin' 10 pay i'm back. That
looks ike PAWN back. I'll 90 back an kin
the bow. an when they find him in Fell
der's field, he'll be dead They'll know
them lie turned and walked toward the
field again. His face was filed with pas
sion, and his form was bent as be strobe
through the eorn-ield, pushing aside the
stalks with his long arms
~He sOt thar an played with me. the
little But III show him II hit had
a-been me stiddsr my boy. wouldn't
a-keered. But rights right, an one boy
amt no better'n anotaea. 1 kin iist shy a
rock az that youngsters head an may be
he'll lay ravin' in fever like Harry, an
-hen die. May be-may be- Wen see!
He heard the cries Of the deserted child,
and as he drew near the fence with the
stone in his hand. he saw the little face
pressed against the rails Of the fence, cali